Gaspard Yurkievich launched his first women’s collection in 1998, after winning the Festival de Hyères in 1997. The French designer quickly became the name of choice for fashion forward men and women who appreciate his urban collections with the Parisian touch. His lines now include menswear, accessories, and his ever so popular shoes. We caught up with Yurkievich during a quick stop in Berlin upon an invitation by the fashion school ESMOD.
sleek What was your incentive for sitting in the jury for a graduation show?
Gaspard YurkievichI was invited to be the president of the jury. It was very flattering, of course, to be “the president.” But seriously now, I’m getting older, and as a designer, it’s interesting for me to see what the younger generation is following, what are their influences. Being on the jury for a graduation show is like taking a snapshot of that generation.
sleek: And what do the snapshots show you?
GY: First of all, the technical level of the students is astonishingly high. The schools is really getting behind and pushing them. I was teaching for three years at the Arts décoratifs and let me tell you, as a teacher you can get very involved, it’s intense. Another thing is that there’s a certain loss of innocence. It’s like the time we live in doesn’t allow the students to be naïve anymore.
sleekIsn’t that what every generation says about the next one?
GY: Not at all, I’m not saying that everything was better back then. I wish I had all the possibilities of the internet when I was a student and the social networks when I was starting out.
sleek As an established, or in your words ‘older’ designer, what advice would you give aspiring, young ones?
GY: Fashion is really a cross-over between industry and creativity. I think I have nothing to tell them, because they seem to be very aware of it these days. They know they need to be marketable. It’s not better or worse than the way things were for my generation, it’s just the snapshot of the now.
